Brookline COVID Case Rates Were Among The Lowest: Health Dept

BROOKLINE, MA — The cumulative COVID-19 case rate in Brookline between the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 and March 2021 were among the lowest in Massachusetts and the U.S., according to the Town of Brookline's COVID-19 Health Report released Tuesday.

The town attributed the lower numbers in part to taking a conservative approach to pandemic response and enacting an early mask mandate.

The 33-page report is meant to provide Brookline residents with a holistic view of the timeline and impacts of the pandemic in town, including the recent data and data trends, the effects on the community and the town’s response, according to the report.

"This success can be attributed to the measures that the town took to ensure safety and to our resident's compliance with these regulations," said Brookline Health Commissioner Swannie Jett, who added that the report can help residents understand the trajectory of the virus in Brookline, and how the town's strategy worked.

In the space of a year, there were 2,123 reported cases in Brookline where the population is estimated to be around 67,400, and 96 people died, as of March 2021. Since April, the case numbers have been on the decline: As of June 12 there were a total of 2,286 cases reported.

Although the report compares Brookline against the state as a whole and not with other communities, by comparison in Waltham, where the population is estimated to be around 66,400, there were some 5,654 cases reported as of June 12, according to state data.

In Medford, where the population is around 61,000, there were 5,408 cases reported. In Plymouth, which has a population of around 63,000, there were 5,215 cases reported. Haverhill, population 66,000 reported 8,293 cases, according to state data.

The report provides a timeline of Brookline's response to COVID-19, which began on March 13, 2020, with the closure of public schools. The report also outlines Brookline's response measures in regard to face-coverings, social distancing and reducing large gatherings, outreach and communication within the community, mental health, as well as equity and social determinants of health.

The report notes that Brookline experienced lower rates of unemployment compared to the rest of the state. In April and May 2020, the unemployment rates were 8.4 percent and 7.4 percent, respectively. Across the country, meanwhile the average was about 14.4 percent, and 16.3 percent in the state, according to the report.

The report also includes information on cases in Brookline by age, gender, race and ethnicity, housing status. It does not include any analysis on lessons learned or an analysis of what it could have done better, if anything.

To see the full report: